German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine Synod Elects New Church Head

Clergy from all the congregations of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine (GELCU) gathered on October 21-23 in Odesa for a synod.

The official site of the GELCU informs that on the first day of the meeting, the president of the synod, Pastor Oleksandr Gross, gave a report and the draft budget for 2014 was presented. Also, the Synod adopted “Regulations on the Ministry of the Bishop.” 

Besides representatives of the GELCU, the synod was attended by the church advisor of the Bavarian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ulrich Sinclair, and the editor of publications of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Union, Olena Dyakina.

Participants of the synod also listened to a report by Bishop Uland Spalinger. On October 22, elections were held for the next Primate of the church. Fifty-one of the 54 representatives of the GELCU eligible to vote were present at the voting. According to the poll, Pastor Serge Maschewski became the new head of the GELCU.

A joint resolution on the activities of the synod of 2013 was adopted. The new bishop addressed the audience with welcoming remarks and called for unity. His named Pastor Pavlo Schwartz (GELCU St. Vozneseniya in Kharkiv) as his deputy.